INTRODUCTION
The Headhunter is perhaps one of the overlooked jewels of the Rifts RPG. I’m partial to this class as a gritty expression of the Rifts RPG as a whole; a human that has embraced the technological advantage to a point most are not willing to (except for full conversion ‘Borgs). They fight against all manner of foes, the credo “fight the good fight and die with the enemy’s heart in your hand” readily communicated in their actions and demeanor. It also helps that this class started with some of the most expressive artwork in the Rifts RPG, but it was not until much later in the World Book series that the class got a boost before we got Rifts Ultimate Edition. Often overshadowed by the flashier classes, the Headhunter delivers on its promise: a Player Character with the skills, bonuses and equipment to dish out damage and live to fight another day.
Type of Characters. As one of the Men-at-Arms, Headhunters really do exemplify the ‘armed to the teeth’ warrior. They are courageous in spirit, leveraging technology and natural abilities to make for a very capable combatant. Their skills are relatively fewer than some other Men-at-Arms, but those they do possess are focused on their niche (combat), or those that directly support the execution of their mandate. They rely on cybernetics and bionics, many of them getting partial conversions to augment their skills, along with an array of weapons and weapon types that they are trained on. Its more the outlook of the class, and how they approach adventuring. They are not flashy power armour or robot pilots (though they could be), don’t have/rarely use psionics or magic, and aren’t skilled in a wide array of fields. This makes them a relatively one-sided character, but only so far as the Player leans into that.
Key Characteristics of the O.C.C. These warriors are really front-loaded with skills, and all the ones you would want for a martial class within a post-apocalyptic setting. They don’t get many additional skill choices to round out the character, but this is off set by other bonuses or choices. What you are getting is a very well-trained, singularly focused combat class. Add to this the selection opportunities from a partial conversion and we have a very self-reliant kind of warrior, a heavily converted human capable of dealing out a fair amount of damage, yet retaining their humanity at the edge of becoming a full conversion 'Borg. They can leverage skills to perform a number of different functions, not limited to straight up combat. The Class Bonuses mean they can be a martial scavenger, with the contacts to sell the goods they scrounge together; perhaps a mercenary for hire; pilot for the group; a bounty hunter; the list goes on. This is before we really get to the specialized ones found in World Book 20: Canada.
Relevant Books with Updates. The only real update we saw with this class is in the RUE; and even then, I consider that a side-grade or even a downgrade (detailed below). Other relevant entries:
Sourcebook: Bionics. Not specifically targeted for the Headhunter, the ability to find just about all bionic and cybernetic component in one publication is a real boon.
World Book 17: Warlords of Russia. The Warlords effectively employ armies of these kinds of warriors. Effectively Headhunters by a different name.
World Book 20: Canada. Before the release of RUE, we got a series of Headhunter-related Classes. These play up the various concentrations the base class could produce. Some truly fantastic, macabre, and wondrous options in here.
GAME CONTEXT
How I Would Play This OCC. Honestly this is one of my favourite classes to play. Benefitting from the RUE “glow-up” in terms of skills and the partial conversion possibilities, I would lean into a generalist warrior. There is a very heavy technological aspect to this class, which I am perfectly happy to leverage. I’m not a huge fan of the partial conversion in terms of what that means for the character’s ability to interact with communities that limit entry to cyborgs and force characters to leave weapons at the gate. That said, I really like the idea of a scout/intelligence operative with a concentration of visual and aural sensing cybernetics to reinforce this outlook. I love the idea of a warrior-hero with some technological implants, fighting the good fight for either profit or heroic reasons; perhaps both, the best of both worlds! They are also one of several classes that seem to be able to function independently just as well as in a group.
The Headhunter in Context
All Human. The Headhunter comes front-end loaded with several options. With a boatload of combat-related skills, typically backed-up with a partial conversion and bionic/cybernetic implants, the Headhunter has a lot to offer. They aren’t going to be the massive combat monster like the Combat Cyborg, but they certainly can provide a significant boost to the party. They start with a veritable litany of weapon proficiencies and a surprising number of language skills. Probably not the negotiator for the team, unless that negotiation involves trading laser fire.
With the Big Boss(es). A heavy hitter among heavy hitters, the Headhunter provides options to contribute to the combat scenario. Others might rely on power armour, the Headhunter’s powers are their own, and the knowledge of how best to leverage their capabilities make them more of an asset than they appear on paper. This gives the Player certain leeway in terms of making them more impactful by personalizing their specialty and the specific upgrades they choose. Given the prevalence of technology, they likely don’t have as much of an issue with replenishment of their weapons’ resources (e.g. e-clips and armour versus railgun ammunition and power armour repairs). They are likely no longer the main damage dealer, but as a singular character, they are a weapon of war among a group of warriors.
With the Demi-Gods. There is the risk of the Headhunter being overshadowed by the more powerful members of the group. Demigods, characters with superpowers or Nightbane forms, D-Bees with massive amounts of personal M.D.C. and the ability to regenerate, all will make the Headhunter seem small. Still just as capable of dealing out damage and death like the rest, they just may not be as quick or effective by comparison. The Headhunter still needs armour and weapon recharges to be as effective, but this Class is all about fighting the good fight, regardless the odds! If the GM places foes to match the more powerful Player Characters, the Headhunter needs to fight smarter, not harder. Thankfully they are qualified in this area, be it through targeted skills, or their personal conversions (e.g. partial conversion or simply a bionic arm with hidden weapons or compartments. Certainly not indestructible, they are no shrinking violets.
Rifts Main Book (RMB, or Grey Book) to Rifts Ultimate Edition (RUE). This is one of those Classes that demonstrated a significant change from the original in the RMB to the one printed in RUE. We’re still talking about a character trained for war, with a selection of skills to support that trade. The first and easiest element is the page length increase, which went from less than a single page to over four (images inclusive). What really improved was the details provided for the partial conversion options. Here we get down to brass-tacks in terms of what a partial conversion looks like: M.D.C. by limb, strength and locomotion, available armor types, and of course the cybernetic and/or weapon systems available to be installed. I would have thought this should have been found in the bionics section, as not just the Headhunter has this option. These are no small details and make the character options more dynamic and personalized to the Player’s vision. In terms of the Class Bonuses, we see some serious benefits in the RUE version, along with the Find Contraband and Contacts. Skills-wise, the character will start with more baseline skills (22 to a whopping 27), more a reflection of the additional skills in the catalogue, while most of the remainder of the O.C.C. remains fairly unchanged.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE HEADHUNTER
Sure, World Book 20: Canada gave us some additional options (close cousins to the base class), but I always loved the original. I found the upgrade the class got in RUE to be one of the more pivotal changes expressed for this class. They gained several skills right up front, meaning they are relatively maximized as they begin at First Level. The skills certainly improve as they continue adventuring, but the reward for them is linked to the mentality of the character, the adventure being the prize; something akin to the “the voyage is more important than the destination.” I like this in a Class, and immediately find myself needing to be convinced why I should not play this class over another.
They are not the ultimate death-dealing Class out there, but they hold their own in a manner exemplified by their credo. The idea of bionic conversions may not be your cup of tea, but this is what the Headhunter leverages to get the job done. Given the wide, expansive options, the Player can really go to town in this part of character generation. Do you concentrate on damage dealing and weapons, assassination with concealed bionics, or perhaps a stealth/scout version with audio and visual sensors to the max? They are well trained in their craft, and offer options to the Players, despite the relative lack of Skill choices. From an artist's representation aspect, I’m not going to lie; I think one of the most evocative pieces of art from the Rifts Main book. The Larry MacDougall piece is a jewel to behold. As a Class, it's a solid choice for those not looking to play a mage, psionic character, or a D-Bee.
Return to All Posts
Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Comments